Counter Offers – Why they are not a good idea
Recruiters tend to look self-serving when we say that counter offers are a bad idea. But they are!
Interesting post by SeSee Munson, a recruiter with The Wilson Group (click here).
As an employee, I would look askance at an employer who claimed to value me, but only gave me a raise when his/her back was to the wall. As a recruiter, I would like to share some other thoughts about why counter offers are not a good idea:
Although money is a very powerful motivator, and the primary reason why most of us work, it is generally not the primary driver to explore employment with a new company. People explore their options for many reasons…and in many cases, it’s because of their boss. They may feel under appreciated. There may be a lack of trust, of communication, of relevant and timely feedback. None of this changes when money is provided as a solution to the problem.
Another reason employees move on is to spread one’s wings professionally, to take on a new challenge when their existing role has grown stale. This doesn’t change, either, when a counter offer is accepted.
When you give notice, you have demonstrated your lack of loyalty to your employer by the very fact of getting to the point of an offer with another company…a move which cannot be undone…and one which results in professional and a surprising amount of personal damage (yes, it hurts your boss’s feelings when you give notice). You have invested time (often, on your employer’s clock), and effort to convince yourself and your prospective new employer that the opening on their staff is more desirable and more appropriate for you at this point in your career, than the position you currently hold. During the course of describing your contributions with your current employer, you may have shared (even inadvertently) some company secrets. Your employer has cause to be concerned that you are receptive to new opportunities, and they do not want to continue to invest in an employee who has “a foot out the door.”
Here is my advice: If there is an issue that prevents you from reaching your fullest potential at your place of employment, have a candid conversation with your management. Let them know of the issue(s) that is preventing you from feeling as fulfilled as you would like. By making them aware of it, you are allowing them the opportunity to remedy the problem if that is possible. If it’s not possible, or if they are not receptive to your concerns, it is time to move on. And when I approach you with an extraordinary new career opportunity, be prepared to make that step into the next chapter of your career without looking back.
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